INTERVIEWS

Wayne Powers is no stranger to success in the film and television industry with 11 sold TV pilots, 8 movie scripts and 3 rewritten films. He wrote the blockbuster hits The Italian Job and Deep Blue Sea. He is also a creator, director, writer and executive producer...Read More »

When it comes to screenwriting, Mike Ellis has done it all. He has sold five pilots to ABC, FOX and the CW, including two this year: AMERICAN MARRIAGE, a drama with Ellen Pompeo (ABC) and a comedy, MARSHA GOES TO JAIL, with FOX’s Adam Shankman. He also co-wrote...Read More »

Writer Melissa Chadburn is a star in LA’s literary fiction scene. She’s been published in McSweeney’s, Tin House, the Rumpus, amongst other places, and her novel, A Tiny Upward Shove, is being published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and will released in 2016.

When it comes to fiction, award-winning author, J Ryan Stradal, infuses his tales with charm and depth. His short stories are just the right mix of fantasy-reality, have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, named a finalist for the James Kirkwood Literary Prize,...Read More »

Breaking into the business of TV Writing is difficult but not impossible. Drama Scribe Pat Charles can help you create the most important item in gaining entrance into that world – A great spec pilot. Pat has produced and written for the hit...Read More »

Emily Cunningham is a rising star in the highly competitive world of literary publishing. As an Associate Editor at Harper, she’s worked with an impressive slew of political heavyweights including Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell. Her focus is narrative nonfiction with an eye to...Read More »

From top blog to book deal, writer, storyteller, and producer Jessie Rosen has taken Hollywood by storm with her bold and charismatic stories. Jessie’s blog, 20-Nothings.com, was named a Top 25 Blog by TIME magazine and among the Top 100 Websites for Women...Read More »

Internationally bestselling author, Robyn Schneider found her way into the hearts of millions of teens through her relatable and beloved coming of age stories. Her critically acclaimed novel, The Beginning of Everything, published by HarperCollins, has been translated widely and has received major...Read More »

Trying to make your stories more exciting? Look no further than excellent short story author, Matthew Specktor. Also a successful novelist and screenwriter, Specktor’s work has appeared in The Paris Review, McSweeney’s The Believer, Tin House, Black Clock, among other publications. His novels...Read More »

Monica Holloway is the bestselling author of Cowboy & Wills, which shares the story of the golden retriever puppy that changed her autistic son’s life, and the critically acclaimed author of the memoir Driving With Dead People, a story about her dysfunctional and eccentric family. Described by...Read More »

If you are in search of an experienced and successful writer to help you reel in that dreaded second or third draft, Liza Palmer is your girl. Palmer has five bestselling novels under her belt and her sixth “Girl Before a Mirror,” will be out on January...Read More »

Tiphanie Yanique’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive. She won the 2011 BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Fiction, Boston Review Prize in Fiction, and an Academy of American Poet’s Prize. She has been listed by the Boston Globe as one of the sixteen cultural figures to watch...Read More »

Abby Sher is a writer and performer living in Brooklyn. Her essays and articles have also appeared in Modern Love: Tales of Love and Obsession, Behind the Bedroom Door, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, Self, Jane, Elle, Elle UK, Marie Claire, Psychology Today, The Medium,...Read More »

If you’re looking to craft concise, exciting, and grounded short stories, look no further than the incomparable Jim Gavin, a long-time SoCal resident and author of the new short story collection “Middle Men” (Simon & Schuster). His fiction has also appeared in a variety of well-known publications...Read More »

Eric Beetner, having published 10 crime novels and more than 60 short stories, is a veritable mystery expert. When he’s not dreaming up high-stakes, fast-paced scenarios for his characters, you can probably find him watching noir films. He’ll be teaching two classes, Writing The...Read More »

Few journalists have reported first-hand on the destruction of a democratic government in the middle of a violent military coup and lived to tell the tale. Meet award-winning writer Marc Cooper. In his early 20’s, he served as President Salvador Allende’s translator for publication and press attache....Read More »

Bob Carlson is an award winning audio producer, musician and broadcaster. He’s the host and producer of UnFictional, a weekly program of unusual stories and compelling personal documentaries airing on KCRW radio, and podcast on KCRW.com. During his long career at KCRW, he served as...Read More »

Sam Ernst certainly knows his way around a Television Drama! He has sold 5 pilots, is currently the co-creator/executive producer on SyFy’s HAVEN and consulting producer on NBC’s CRISIS, and he was a writer on USA’s popular hit THE DEAD ZONE. Learn a thing or two from...Read More »

Award-winning travel writer and photographer Eric Hiss regularly travels the world in search of unexpected and enlightening stories. In a career spanning nearly two decades, he has contributed to dozens of publications and websites, including Condé Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Los Angeles Times, Delta Sky, and...Read More »

As the old adage goes, truth is stranger than fiction, which certainly is the case in the memoir “Agorafabulous!: Dispatches From My Bedroom” by award-winning comedian Sara Benincasa. Her bitingly funny memoir is based on her critically acclaimed one-woman show about panic attacks and agoraphobia....Read More »

If you’re in the world of Middle Grade and YA Literature, you’re probably familiar with the work of D.J. MacHale. His Pendragon series was a #1 New York Times Best-Seller, and he’s the author of over 20 YA/Middle Grade books, including the Morpheus Road trilogy, a...Read More »

Though you may remember her as Tara Maclay from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, these days Amber Benson is doing the writing and people are really taking notice. We’re very privileged to have Amber teaching a few writing classes at the Pad including A...Read More »

At the age of 11, Daisy Eagan became the youngest actress to ever receive a Tony. Since then, she has been lighting up New York and LA stages on Broadway (Les Mis, The Dead), regional theater (Stoneface, The Wild Party), national tours,...Read More »

Honored by horror nerds as the Father of Splatterpunk, John Skipp is the New York Times best-selling author of the horror classic “The Light at the End” and co-author of the fifth installment of Nightmare on Elm Street, arguably the bloodiest in the series. His 1989 anthology...Read More »

Screenwriter Christopher Reed seems to have his hand in everything: movies, shorts, music, plays, internet content. He even wrote the feature screenplay, “Jaguar,” a concept that would later become “The Lion King.”

He wrote the screenplay for the Touchstone feature film, “The Sixth Man,” wrote...Read More »

American editor and journalist, editor-at-large of The Week, a contributing editor at GQ and at The Atlantic, and former White House correspondent at the National Journal, Marc Ambinder’s credentials speak for themselves.

Not one to shy away from the personal or political, he’s written controversial...Read More »

Gloria Calderón Kellett knows how to write a good pilot. She is currently a writer on the CW series “iZombie” and before that, she was a writer and producer on “How I Met Your Mother,” “Rules of Engagement”, “Devious Maids,” and...Read More »

When it comes to writing comedy, Dan’s the man. Dan Gregor has written on our favorite comedy shows (“How I Met Your Mother” and Adult Swim’s “NTSF:SD:SUV”). He’s sold six TV pilots to the major networks (NBC, ABC, Fox, CW, FX,...Read More »

Reyna Grande is a bestselling author of three books (two novels and a memoir) that deal with immigration. The LA Times praised the memoir as “the ‘Angela’s Ashes’ of the modern Mexican immigrant experience.” She’s received some pretty hefty awards for her writing,...Read More »

Nia Vardalos is a woman of many talents. Acting, screenwriting, memoir writing–this lady can do it all. Since writing and starring in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, Nia has written and starred in films such as “Connie and Carla,” plus co-written “Larry Crowne”...Read More »

Did you know that Nathan Deuel walked nearly 2,000 miles from New York to New Orleans? His shoes are made for walkin’! Nathan has also had an impressive walk through the literary world. From essays and reviews to fiction, editorial positions with top magazines and newspapers — and now his first book,...Read More »

She’s been published in Salon, The NY Times, and Smith, won The Moth GrandSLAM three times, recovered from amnesia, and was a nude model. The last two things usually get people’s attention. Her name? Cole Kazdin.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Dedi Felman. Dedi has been in the publishing business for over a decade. A decade! That’s a long time, guys. She’s worked at Oxford University Press, Simon and Schuster, and Henry Holt/Times Books.

Cindy Chupack has had the kind of writing success most people dream about. She is especially good at transforming her life’s ups and downs into Emmy award-winning magic. She most recently was a co-executive producer on Season Three of ABC’s “Modern Family” and has written for “Sex...Read More »

Natasha-Vargas Cooper has written about topics ranging from bath salt addictions to the real-life Don Draper for publications like The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, and The Awl, to name a few. She also hosts a fantastic monthly storytelling show called...Read More »

If you’re interested in learning more about Young Adult fiction, the newest craze in the literary world, Lauren Strasnick can give you the inside scoop. She’s already published three successful YA novels! Her first novel “Nothing Like You” was a RWA RITA award finalist. Her second novel,...Read More »

Everyone’s always talking about how important it is to build a platform when you’re a writer, actor, or artist. But the world of social media can be both intimidating and overwhelming. If you want to learn how to build an online following in a completely painless (and even...Read More »

Ben Loory’s short stories are unique and have universal appeal. Maybe it’s his background in screenwriting. Or maybe it’s his talking televisions and humorous octopi. Or perhaps its his succinct, yet dream-like prose.

Imagine the first movie you sell turns into a Hollywood blockbuster. That’s what happened to W. Peter Iliff. Like many dreamy-eyed scribes, Peter waited tables in Los Angeles as he worked on his screenplay, “Point Break” about bank robbers who are part of a...Read More »

Lauren Weedman is everywhere — but you might not always recognize her because the writer/performer is so good at transforming herself. You may know her as the drill sergeant-like chef from, “The Five-Year Engagement.” Or as Horny Patty from “HUNG.” Or as the hilarious correspondent from...Read More »

DC Pierson is the kind of guy who has talent coming out of his ears. He’s known for his writing across genres, including: two novels, short stories, movies, stand up comedy, storytelling essays, and blog writing.

Maureen McHugh is best known for her short stories, but her resume is long. She has written two collections of short stories and four novels, including “China Mountain Zhang” which was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula award and won the James Tiptree, Jr....Read More »

Award-winning author Francesca Lia Block knows novels.She has published over 30 ground breaking novels—postmodern, magic-realist tales that transport readers to the unfamiliar within the familiar, the real within the surreal.

If you’re interested in writing a bestselling novel of your own, Francesca is offering a special online Read More »

It’s not an easy task for a writer to create a world so complex and engaging that readers want to savor it book after book. RITA award-nominated novelist Zoe Archer has discovered the magic potion that hooks readers from page one and keeps...Read More »

Antonio Sacre is one of those rare artists who can captivate audiences in books and live in performance. He’s an internationally touring, award-winning solo performance artist who has created eight solo shows. He won Best In Fringe Festival at the New York International Fringe Theater Festival...Read More »

TV Writer Jason Grote got his start writing for the stage. As a playwright, his work has been produced and developed at Lincoln Center, Sundance, New York Theater Workshop, and more. Through his talents and connections, Jason forged a career for himself in television writing....Read More »

By Alana SaltzIf you want to learn how to break into TV writing, William Rabkin is definitely the man to talk to. He’s written and/or produced hundreds of hours of dramatic television for hit shows like “Monk,” “Psych,” “Spenser: For Hire,” and “The Glades.” He...Read More »

Whether you want to write the next Twilight or the next Great American Novel, there is an art to creating multi-faceted characters that will draw your readers in from page 1, and Writing Pad has just the author to teach you how.

Are you ready to finally finish that novel you’ve been dreaming about? We think it’s finally time to bring that story to life, and you can put yourself in the trusted hands of Janelle Brown to help you do so.

If you want to study screenwriting, study with someone who knows. And if anybody knows, it’s Robbie Fox. Not only is he funny and well-connected, but his resume speaks for itself. He’s sold over 60 pitches and scripts to the major studios and has...Read More »

By Antonia CraneYOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS.It’s a Writing Pad miracle: Susan Orlean is coming to Writing Pad on Thursday, November 1st from 8-9:30p.m. for a fireside chat. Do you want to know how to twist one life changing moment into a bestselling book?...Read More »

Jeff Kahn’s writing, which fluidly crosses genres as diverse as screenwriting to personal essay, elevates silliness to a high art. His distinct wit consistently transforms the painful absurdity of daily life into comedic gold.

Jessica Brody will be the first to tell you that her “overnight success” took at least five years. Instead of letting rejection letters from her first attempts at book publishing discourage her, she took agents’ comments and used them to improve her writing. Now...Read More »

First things first, Writing Pad would like to give props to Chad Gervich. This week, he is wrapping up not one—but two—TV shows (“After Lately” and “Cupcake Wars”)! He stepped off set for a moment to talk with us about the television industry and the...Read More »

Novelist and published short story writer Melissa Clark likes to dive into the extraordinary. Her book “Swimming Upstream, Slowly” features a character named Sasha Salter who discovers that she is pregnant, even though she hasn’t had sex in years. It turns out that Sasha’s body...Read More »

Before Michael J. Fox was crowned teen idol of the 1980s, before leg warmers, teased hair-dos and acid washed jeans were de rigueur for every teenage girl—Bob Gale was just another struggling comedy writer looking for a lucky break. It wasn’t until the soon-to-be creator of the Back...Read More »

This Sunday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m., Alex Cohen of NPR will join Jeffrey Kaye of PBS Newshour and Deborah Vankin of LA Times to talk about building a career in journalism at Writing Pad. Best known as the host of “All Things Considered” and “Marketplace”...Read More »

What are your plans for this Friday night? Takeout and TV? Drinks at a bar? Whatever it is, it won’t be as much fun or as informative as if you come down to the Pad. That’s right–published author of 32 Candles (and Writing Pad...Read More »

Meet Ernessa T Carter, an awesome writing pad alum and as of June 22, 2010 a published author!! While we wait for our pre-ordered copy of her new book, 32 Candles, to arrive, we asked Ernessa about her book and how she got...Read More »

Meet Ernessa T Carter, an awesome writing pad alum and as of June 22, 2010 a published author!! While we wait for our pre-ordered copy of her new book, 32 Candles, to arrive, we asked Ernessa about her book and how she got...Read More »

Meet Julie Brister: a very talented actor, teacher, and writer! Last year, Julie wrote a one woman show called “Fat Parts.” Julie wrote the first draft of this show in the So You Want to be a Writer class with Aaron Henne at Writing Pad. She...Read More »